American Girl fashion show draws full house

Seven-year-old Hayley Payne was holding one of her best friends on her lap Friday evening as she waited for the start of the much-anticipated American Girl fashion show.

John Reynolds

Seven-year-old Hayley Payne was holding one of her best friends on her lap Friday evening as she waited for the start of the much-anticipated American Girl fashion show.

Hayley’s friend, Nellie, is an American Girl doll.

Practically all of the dozens of girls waiting for the fashion show to start were carrying one or more of the wildly popular dolls. Most of the girls were even dressed like their doll.

“We have three dolls,” said Nancy Payne of Springfield, Hayley’s mother. “I have one myself, my other daughter has her doll, and (Hayley) has one.”

Friday’s fashion show at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum was a sell-out, drawing about 250 attendees. The $75 adult or child package included dinner and the fashion show, goody bag and other items.

It was the kickoff for a series of fashion shows and book-reading events this weekend in Springfield, all centered around the American Girl phenomenon.

Money raised during the events will go to the Children’s Miracle Network and benefit the pediatric ward of St. John’s Hospital.

According to co-coordinator Farah Salim, the American Girl dolls are an educational and fun way to learn about history. Each doll has a name and comes complete with life story.

The doll named Josefina Montoya, for instance, is a New Mexican girl growing up in 1824. Another doll, Kirsten Larson, moved from Sweden to America with her family and settled on the Minnesota frontier.

“It’s a really fun way for girls of today to learn about girls of yesterday,” Salim said.

About 25 girls took part in Friday night’s fashion show, while the rest of the girls and their dolls watched. Additional shows are scheduled for today and Sunday.

Clare Mansholt of Jacksonville, who was at the event with her daughter, Ariel, said part of the draw is that girls can choose a doll that resembles them.

“She really enjoys them. We take them different places with us. They have lots of outfits, lots of clothes,” Clare said.

Ariel had two dolls with her Friday: Nicki and Marisol.

“This one has curly hair and looks mostly like me,” Ariel said, referring to Nicki. “This one’s Spanish and has brown hair.”

Hannah Hogan, 10, also had a Marisol doll.

“(I chose her) because she is really pretty, and I love her a lot,” Hannah said.

Salim said organizers hope to raise at least $40,000 throughout the weekend. The money will be used to buy a variety of items, such as DVDs that children can watch while in the hospital, and critical-care equipment like incubators.

John Reynolds can be reached at (217) 788-1524.

American Girl history

American Girl was started in Middleton, Wis., by a former teacher, reporter and textbook writer who went to Williamsburg, Va., and believed creating a doll inspired by the town would help make history come to life.

Pleasant T. Rowland first sold the historic dolls through a catalog only. Later, she started American Girl magazine and then expanded the line to include dolls that look like girls and baby dolls.

In 1998, she sold the company to Mattel. That was the first year the dolls became available in stores. Until 2003, the American Girl doll store on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue was the only store in the United States that sold the dolls.

Each of the stores offers a variety of things other than shopping. In Chicago, for instance, girls can see a show, shop, go to lunch and send their dolls to the hair salon.

American Girl by the numbers

123 million — Number of American Girl books sold since 1986

14 million — Number of American Girl dolls sold since 1986

51 million — Visits per year to the Web site www.americangirl.com

23 million — Visits per year to the American Girl stores in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York

620,000 — Circulation of American Girl magazine

Source: americangirl.com

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